Wilson was born on September 25, 1961, in Lachine, Quebec, Canada.[1][2] She grew up in Port Moody, British Columbia.[3][4] As child she did swimming and diving, competing at provincials three times. She first swam with the Coquitlam Sharks in 1967 before moving, in 1970, to Port Moody Aquarians.[4] She attended college for one semester before her partnership with Rob McCall began.[3]
In 1987, Wilson married Brad Kinsella.[5][6] Though she did not change her name at the time,[6] her name is sometimes printed as Tracy Wilson-Kinsella[2][7] or Tracy Wilson Kinsella.[4][8] Together they have three children – two sons who play hockey and a daughter who competes as an equestrian.[4][5] They live in Toronto, Ontario.[9]
Skating career
Wilson started skating when she was six years old in Coquitlam. After moving she became a member of Port Moody's Inlet Skating Club.[4][10] She competed in ice dancing for the first time when she was fifteen.[10] On the junior level, Wilson competed with Mark Stokes. They were the 1980 Canadian junior national champions.[2]
After the 1988 Worlds, they decided to go pro.[14] They competed in professional competition, including winning the World Professional Championships in 1989.[12][15] The team also performed with Stars on Ice for two years[2] and other shows. In March/April 1990, McCall was diagnosed with AIDS and his health was deteriorating.[3][16] Disregarding the mass public fear of AIDS at the time, Wilson continued to skate with McCall. The pair did some shows and skated at the 1990 World Professional Championships. Wilson had to stop skating with the birth of her first child in 1991. Soon after McCall deteriorated further and he died November 15, 1991.[16] Wilson retired from ice dancing,[2] but she did skate a solo, while pregnant with her second child, at the tribute show for McCall on November 21, 1992.[16]
In 2006, Wilson and Brian Orser were hired by the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club as consultants to help rebuild the skating program. The two decided to stay and coach there, training kids, adults, and elite skaters.[19]
Since 1990, Wilson has worked as a television figure skating analyst for American and Canadian networks, including CBS, NBC, CBC, CTV (TSN), ABC, and Turner Sports (TNT).[2][4][36] She has also written several articles for TSN's website.[37]
Wilson has also done some choreography, including for Canadian junior ice dance team Edrea Khong / Edbert Khong.[38]
Wilson is also an AIDS activist.[12][14] She was one of the primary organizers of the "Skate the Dream: A Tribute to Rob McCall" ice show, a fundraiser for AIDS research, which took place on November 21, 1992.[16][39][40]
She is an ambassador for S'port for Kids Foundation, a charitable organization whose goal is to involve kids in organized athletics.[2][36]
Awards and recognition
In 1988, Wilson and McCall were made Members of the Order of Canada.[2][10] This is the highest civilian honor given by the Canadian government.[9]
Wilson was also inducted into several halls of fame, including:
In 1995, the Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall Trophy was established to annually recognize a Canadian pairs team.[2] Past winners included pairs in rowing, bobsleigh, and tennis.[41]
^"Kaiya RUITER: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
^"Jia SHIN: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2024-08-13. Retrieved 25 August 2024.